'Buy because you love it, and that way you’ll keep it forever': Abigail Ahern presents a haunting collection of affordable art

Interior designer and tastemaker Abigail Ahern is known for her dark, dramatic style; indeed, she has been dubbed the “high priestess of interiors” by Living etc magazine.

It's a high charge, but her eclectic styling lives up to the name - and one of her latest projects, a haunting selection of wintry faux plants and botanicals for the home, is a case in point. 

The same goes for her art collection, and luckily for admirers of her style on a budget, this year Ahern has partnered up with the Affordable Art Fair to curate an exclusive edit of pieces for under £500 - all of which will be available to buy at the upcoming fair in Battersea from 19th to 22nd October.

The edit, curated in line with Abigail’s signature style, features a range of works using different media (prints, painting, photography) including Richard Levine’s diamond-dusted Mon Ami Brilliant and Rob Lyon’s abstract work, Bluster Sweep.

Her own home in East London is filled with an art collection that just keeps on growing. "It makes you want to linger longer, and transforms really boring rooms into something more tantalising. I love that about art - it just takes spaces to a whole other level," she explains.

"I play around with scale, so I have really big art in my house and it adds an immediate grandeur. I don’t buy art as an investment. I buy it because I love it. If you can do that, you don’t worry about trends and whether it’s hot or if it’s not. Just buy something you really love, and then you’ll keep it forever. I go from the heart - if it responds to me emotionally, then I buy it - then it just goes wherever I kind of figure it goes.

"It's a myth that art is really expensive," she continues. "You don’t have to have tons of money to begin collecting really amazing art.  I go with shape and colour and texture when I’m buying abstract art. The great thing about this curation is that it covers the gamut, but somehow it all fits together.

"My point is, when you’re buying art that you love, you never have to worry what piece will go with what piece. It already does, because you’re buying according to your own unique, subjective point of view.  I never ask anyone other than my partner what they think. I really don’t think you should buy art any other way."

This philosophy is clear to see as we discuss some of her favourite works of art, including those of British sculptor Dominic Gubb.  "He does these incredible dogs made out of rope, and I love them because they’re so realistic. I really like art that has a touch of irreverence. Interiors can be quite stuffy, and when you go for pieces that literally make you smile, it really lightens the mood."

For Ahern, mixing media is key.  "It’s really important when you're collecting - it means it’s not so one-dimensional. That’s what I really want to encourage people to do. Don’t just go for watercolours, or just go for a photographic vibe. When you throw in ink drawings, they add a fluidity."

In particular, Ahern favours Via Martine's grungy, gritty photographs. “They really stop you in your tracks, they’re really dramatic. I love introducing drama into my interiors, which is what art can do. There’s a whole hodgepodge of stuff that I love and somehow it works when it’s all curated together."

One thing that seems to unite her choices is a marked irreverence. Another favourite is graphic artist and photographer Russell Lewis. "He's tongue-in-cheek, and his art has quite a masculine sensibility. I’m not into pretty, flowery, girly art - I like dramatic, masculine art - and his is exactly that.

"I’m drawn to quite inky, flood-y, bottom-of-the-lake type hues, so I tend to gravitate towards art that reflects that. There’s another artist called Ann Gee Chan from Hong Kong who does portraits in colours that really resonate with me."

Does her art reference her preferences in interior design, too, I wonder? "Subconsciously, perhaps it does. I don’t often think about it but yes, I have this quite edgy style, and my art totally reflects that. There’s nothing fancy or flowery about it at all."